1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of processing plural documents as one document, a control method thereof, a storage medium and the like.
2. Related Background Art
For example, in a conventional image processing system which includes image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a printer, a fax machine and the like, in case of outputting stored images, even if plural documents are selected, these selected documents are output respectively as separate jobs.
However, in the conventional image processing system, for example, even when the plural documents are selected and printed, these selected documents are printed respectively as separate jobs. Thus, since finishing such as stapling or the like is performed in the unit of document, the plural documents can not be stapled together.
Further, since the plural documents are also subjected to two-faced processes respectively as separate jobs, the two-faced process is performed for each document. For example, when a first document consists of three pages and a second document consists of one page, even if two-faced output is designated, two sheets are output as the output of the first document, and the back face of the output second sheet is blank. Further, one sheet is output as the output of the second document, and the back face of the output sheet is blank. Thus, the three sheets including the blank faces are resultingly output, and these blank faces can not be filled with the output documents, whereby the sheets are consumptive.
Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-136979, a so-called reduction layout copying function has been known. This function is to reduce and read plural original images, and arrange the read original images of the predetermined number on one sheet in the predetermined order, whereby the original images can be output and laid out on the sheets the number of which is smaller than the number of originals.
However, in the conventional image processing system, when the two-faced output is performed for the plural documents stored in a hard disk, two-faced setting is available only for each document. For example, when a document (a document 1) first processed consists of image data of plural pages, the image data of the last page of the document 1 is formed on the front face of a sheet, and image data of the first page of a document (a document 2) next processed is surely formed on the front face of another sheet, whereby the images of the plural documents can not be continuously formed on the front and back faces of the sheet. Thus, there is a problem that a user must perform a very complex operation of performing two-faced printing after editing and putting the plural documents together into one document.
Further, in an image input/output apparatus such as a conventional multifunctional machine or the like, when reduction layout output is performed to plural documents stored in a hard disk, reduction layout setting is available only for each document. Thus, for example, in a case where four originals are reduced by 50% and laid out on one sheet, when the document (the document 1) first processed consists of original image data of three pages, the image data of the document 1 is formed in the area occupying xc2xe of one sheet, and the image data of the first page of the document (the document 2) next processed is surely formed on another sheet, whereby the images of the plural documents can not be continuously formed in the layout areas of the sheet. Thus, there is a problem that a user must perform a very complex operation of performing reduction layout printing after editing and putting the plural documents together into one document.
Further, in a case where the size of the image data stored in the hard disk for each document or each page is different from others, there is a problem that the image is partially dropped out when reduction layout outputting is performed for the plural documents.
Further, in the conventional image processing system, when the plural documents stored in the hard disk are output, a job is created for each document for image forming. Thus, there is a problem that the boundary between the continuous documents can not be understood or found easily.
In the conventional image processing system, there is an insert sheet function which is to insert an insert sheet (or a partition sheet). Here, the insert sheet and the partition sheet are assumed to indicate the same one, i.e., the insert sheet and the partition sheet are used as the same meaning. In this system, in order to designate the position where the insert sheet is inserted, it is necessary for an operator to first confirm the sheaf of originals, determine in this sheaf the page position where the insert sheet should be inserted, and then designate the corresponding page position in this sheaf through an operation unit or the like. Namely, there is a problem that it is very difficult to designate the page position of the arbitrarily combinable plural documents once stored in the hard disk.
The present invention was made in consideration of such problems as above included in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which copes with various needs from users in a case where plural documents are output, a control method thereof, and a storage medium.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising: a memory for storing one or more images as one document; an image forming unit for forming the images of the document stored in the memory, on a sheet; and a controller for causing the image forming unit to perform the image forming for the plural documents stored in the memory as one document.